THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, october 9, 2025
The Kerala Assembly on Wednesday passed the Wildlife Protection (Kerala Amendment) Bill, 2025 and the Kerala Forest (Amendment) Bill, 2025 in the absence of the Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) which boycotted the proceedings over the alleged gold theft at Sabarimala.
Forests Minister A.K. Saseendran described the Wildlife Protection (Kerala Amendment) Bill, 2025 as a milestone initiative, stating that Kerala is the first State in India to introduce such an amendment to the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
Time consuming
According to him, the existing procedures under the Central Act and its associated Standard Operating Procedures are often impractical and time-consuming. The amendment aims to enable quick action in emergency situations, especially when lives are at risk.
The proposed legislation would enable the Chief Wildlife Warden to authorise immediate action, including killing animals, without unnecessary delay, at times when people suffer serious injuries in a wildlife attack, following which the District Collector or Chief Conservator of Forests reports the incident for necessary action.
The Bill also includes provision for population control and relocation of species listed in Schedule II, such as wild boars and leopards, without requiring Central government approval. Besides, the new Bill would also empower the State government to declare a species as ‘vermin’ if its population becomes unmanageable.
The Bill also proposes shifting Bonnet Macaque from Schedule I to Schedule II to permit population control of the species and, if necessary, declaring them vermin.
Mr. Saseendran highlighted that the Bill will come into effect only upon receiving Presidential assent, after being forwarded through the Governor, as it involves amendments to the Central law. The Kerala Forest (Amendment) Bill, 2025 primarily introduces provisions regarding the harvesting and sale of sandalwood trees on private land.
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